As the group of six students and eleven familiars proceeded deeper into the forest, the underworld energy continued to thicken.
The underworld energy permeated the air in the entire forest, even stretching slightly beyond the contaminated area. But the closer to the edge of the forest, the thinner it was. The first few leagues of contaminated forest had air almost as clear as the outside world.
However, now the group had come so deep that the sunlight could barely reach the ground. The air was murky grey, and the sky was no different from looking at a singular large rain cloud. There was also an especially thick layer of black smoke lingering up to a hand above the ground. It snaked and curled around their feet and ankles when they walked.
